For eighty four days old Santiago had not caught a single fish. At first a young boy, Manolin, had shared his bad fortune, but after the fortieth luckless day the boy’s father told his son to go in another boat. From that time on, Santiago worked alone. The boy loved the old fisherman and always helped him with money and food. Usually, they would talk about the fish they had taken in luckier times or about American baseball after supper, while at night, alone in his cottage, Santiago dreamed of lions on the beaches of Africa, where he had gone years before. He no longer dreamed of his dead wife.
On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago set off to fish before dawn. Two of his baits(饵) were fresh tunas(金枪鱼) the boy had given him, as well as sardines(沙丁鱼) to cover his hooks. Then he set his lines which went straight down into deep dark water.
As the sun rose he saw other boats in toward shore. A bird showed him where dolphins were chasing some flying fish. This time Santiago saw tuna jumping in the sunlight. A small one took the hook on his line. Pulling the fish aboard, the old man thought it a good fortune.
Toward noon a marlin, a common fish in the sea, started eating the bait which was one hundred meters down. Gently the old man played the fish, a big one, as he knew from the weight on the line. At last he struck to settle the hook. The fish did not come out of the surface. Instead, it began to pull the boat to the northwest. The old man followed it. Although he was alone and no longer strong, he had his skill and knew many tricks. He waited patiently for the fish to be tired.
It was cold after the sunset. When something took one of his remaining baits, he cut the line with his knife. Once the marlin leaned suddenly, pulling Santiago forward on his face and cutting his cheek. By dawn his left hand was cramped(抽筋的). The fish had headed northward; there was no land in sight. Hungry, he cut pieces from the tuna and chewed them slowly.
That morning the fish jumped. Seeing it, Santiago knew he had hooked the biggest marlin he had ever seen. Then the fish went down and turned toward the east. Santiago drank a little water from the bottle during the hot afternoon.
Close to nightfall a dolphin took the small hook he had rebaited. He lifted it aboard, careful. After he had rested, he cut meat from the dolphin and kept also the two flying fish he found in its stomach. That night he slept. He awoke to feel the line running through his fingers as the fish jumped. Feeding line slowly, he tried to tire the marlin. After the fish slowed its run, he washed his cut hands in sea water and ate one of the flying fish. At sunrise the marlin began to circle. Faint, he worked to bring the big fish nearer with each turn. Almost exhausted, he finally drew his big fish alongside and drove in the harpoon(鱼叉). The fish was two feet longer than the boat. No fish like it had ever been seen in Havana harbor.
An hour later, he sighted the first shark, a fierce Mako, and it came in fast to chase after the dead marlin. The old man struck the shark with his harpoon. The Mako rolled and sank, carrying the harpoon with it and leaving the marlin bloody. He knew the smell would spread. Watching, he saw two sharks closing in. He struck at one with his knife and watched it sliding down into deep water. The other he killed while it tore at the flesh of the marlin. When the third appeared, he thrust(刺) it with the knife. The other sharks came at sunset. At first he tried to beat them with the tiller(舵柄) from the boat, but his hands were bleeding and there were too many in the sea. In the darkness, as he steered toward the harbor of Havana, he heard them hitting the boat again and again. But the old man thought only of his steering and his great tiredness. He had gone out too far and the sharks had beaten him. He knew they would leave him nothing but the stripped skeleton of the big marlin.
All lights were out when he sailed into the little harbor and beached his boat. He could just make out the white backbone and the upstanding tail of the fish. Once he fell under their weight and lay patiently until he could gather his strength to go on. In his cottage he fell on his bed and went to sleep.
1.The above story is adapted from __________.
A. Treasure Island B. The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer
C. The Old Man And The Sea D. The Son Of The Sea
2.Why did the man feel that he could be lucky this time?
A. Because a small tuna took the hook on his line.
B. Because he dreamed about the American lions.
C. Because he saw many flying fish were chased by the dolphins.
D. Because a lot of sharks followed his boat.
3.According to the text, which statement is NOT true about the boy?
A. The boy had mercy on Santiago.
B. The boy often shared his stories with Santiago.
C. The boy showed his great concerns to Santiago.
D. The boy was Santiago’s adopted son.
4.Why does Santiago let the marlin lead his boat instead of pulling the big fish up?
A. He wanted to kill the marlin first before he pulled it up to the boat.
B. He was too tired and hungry to pull the big fish up.
C. His experience told him not to do so before the fish was tired out.
D. He wanted to use the marlin as a bait to catch the sharks.
5.Which sentence below can be used to best describe Santiago’s character?
A. “He no longer dreamed of his dead wife.”(Para 1)
B. “Although he was alone and no longer strong, he had his skill and knew many tricks.”(Para4)
C. “Almost exhausted, he finally drew his big fish alongside and drove in the harpoon.”(Para7)
D. “Once he fell under their weight and lay patiently until he could gather his strength to go on .”(Para 9)
6.According to the text, what will be talked about in the next paragraph?
A. the man’s action to realize his dream about the lions.
B. people’s reflection when they saw the giant marlin outside.
C. people’s discussion about how they ate the giant marlin.
D. a funeral held by the boy and the local people after his death.
Driving to a friend’s house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just above my friend’s rooftop. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it is that most city people --- myself included --- usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.
My friend had also seen it. He grew up living in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then. It had touched much of his life.
I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest house with no electricity or running hot water. Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.
Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fiber-glass. We have television, cell phones, pagers, electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.
Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought, “Before long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the mountains. And perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night and touched the moon.”
1.The best title for the passage would be _________.
A. Touched by the Moon
B. The Pleasures of Modern Life
C. A Bottomless well of Silence
D. Break away from Modern life
2.The writer felt sorry for himself because __________.
A. there was too much pollution.
B. he failed to see the fullest moon.
C. he didn’t adapt to modern inventions
D. there were too many accidents on the road.
3.What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?
A. No modern equipment.
B. Complete silence.
C. The nice moon.
D. The high mountain.
4.Modern things are mentioned mainly to ___________.
A. show that the writer likes city life very much.
B. tell us that people greatly benefit from modern life.
C. explain that people have less chances to enjoy nature.
D. show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them.
5.The author wrote the passage to __________.
A. express the feeling of returning to nature.
B. show the love for the moonlight.
C. advise modern people to learn to live.
D. want to communicate longing for modern life.
As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I’m writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”
“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one’s thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的) and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
1.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A. The Importance of Handwriting and Typing.
B. To type or to Handwrite.
C. Writing by Computer will Replace Writing by Hand.
D. Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters.
2.The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer because ________.
A. they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays.
B. they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently.
C. they found it not easy to remember how to write a character.
D. computers have become a trend and fashion in China.
3.Which of the following statements in NOT the advantage of handwriting?
A. Handwriting contains the writer’s emotion.
B. The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting.
C. Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s self-confidence.
D. Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value.
4.We can draw the conclusion from the passage that _________.
A. more and more students will give up writing on a computer.
B. writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day.
C. more and more students will pay attention to handwriting.
D. the typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality.
5.What is the author’s attitude toward typing on a computer?
A. supportive B. proud C. objective D. Disapproval
Justin Bieber used to be an ordinary Canadian boy, but his life totally changed in 2008. With his great musical talent, this 17-year-old boy has become a superstar in the music industry.
Justin Bieber was born in Straford, Ontario and was raised by his single mother. Bieber learned to play musical instruments when he was very young. In 2007, he took part in a local singing competition in his hometown, and he did it just for fun. He never took singing lessons before but surprisingly he placed second in the competition. Then,with the help of his mother, he uploaded videos of him singing on a website and they successfully attracted the attention of viewers. His videos got popular through word of mouth and some of them have received up to 10,000,000 views.
Justin Bieber would have never gotten a career in the music business without his videos. Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def Recordings, had watched Bieber’s videos and he was impressed by the boy’s talent. Braun then contracted Bieber and he flew the boy into Atlanta 7 months after the first video was posted. Bieber showed his talent in singing as well as his ability in playing musical instruments. He then got a record deal.
In 2009,Justin Bieber released his first single “One Time” while he was recording the debut album（首张专辑）.The single “One Time” tells a story about love. This song had success not only in Canada and the US, but also in the international market. Then he released his debut album “My World 2.0”in 2010 and the song “Baby” became the lead single. This album successfully entered the Top Ten Charts in seven countries. In June 2010, he started his first world tour in Hartford, Connecticut. One month later, he started recording his second album.
1.Justin Bieber’s career in music began to take off when ________.
A. he met with Scooter Braun
B. he released his debut album
C. he won second place in a competition
D. his singing videos were uploaded to a website
2.It can be inferred from the text that Justin Bieber ___________.
A. owed his success to good luck
B. showed a gift for music when he was young
C. is the youngest superstar ever in the music industry
D. released his debut album with the help of Scooter Braun
3.What do we learn about Justin Bieber’s “One Time” according to the text?
A. It is about love and was released in 2010.
B. It attracted the world’s attention after released.
C. It successfully entered the Top Ten Charts in seven countries.
D. It is the lead single of his debut album “My World 2.0”.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Justin Bieber’s journey to success.
B. Lucky boy-- Justin Bieber.
C. What made Justin Bieber a singer.
D. Secrets of Justin Bieber’s succes.
It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens,they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are.
1.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
A. feel shy B. stay calm C. keep up D. feel upset
2.In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that______
A. problems cause troubles B. attitude is everything
C. challenges can be avoided D. personalities are built on failures
3.According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we _______.
A. can only depend on our parents B. are not alone
C. should only believe ourselves D. are not confident
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Problems and challenges may help you know more about yourself.
B. People are able to avoid problems.
C. All problems are bad and negative.
D. You have to trust yourself and never turn to others for help.
5.What’s the writer’ purpose to write the passage?
A. To explain B. To compare C. To prove D. To encourage.
Megan's Library of Love book drive began in 2006, in memory of a student who passed away. The to send books to a school was created by Megan's classmates at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School as a tribute（悼念）to her.
The project formed out of the desire Megan, to help our community heal, and to make a in the life of others. Students have many of Megan, but the most vivid was her love for her family and the diligent she gave to her classmates. They combined this with her for learning and reading to create the Library of Love. This project honors Megan's special qualities. In the of one of her classmates, Megan was, “A good daughter, a good student, a good friend.” We are all blessed to have been a of Megan's life.
Every February, on Megan's birthday, fifth graders at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School donations of newly purchased books and send them to a school in need. The “Love books” are truly a of love meant to reading and learning. Students earn the money for postage by writing letters to local .The fifth graders also have the of labeling every book with a Library of Love sticker（标签）, the books into categories（类别）, and all the books for shipping.
In the two years since the Library of Love began, students have collected over 5000 newly purchased books to send to schools in need. In 2006, 3419 books were sent to St. Bernard's Parish to help their school library after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the community. In 2007, 1613 books were sent to White Mountain School in Alaska, who their high school in a fire. Students look forward to sending the gift of to other schools
1.A. move B. thought C. idea D. offer
2.A. in need B. in trouble C. in difficulty D. in pain
3.A. help B. honor C. keep D. save
4.A. contribution B. mark C. difference D. start
5.A. images B. pictures C. stories D. memories
6.A. effort B. advice C. help D. example
7.A. interest B. passion C. preference D. determination
8.A. case B. ideas C. words D. look
9.A. company B. witness C. part D. friend
10.A. get B. count C. seek D. collect
11.A. measure B. force C. gift D. mark
12.A. push B. reward C. inspire D. connect
13.A. families B. communities C. factories D. businesses
14.A. chance B. responsibility C. pleasure D. work
15.A. dividing B. placing C. sorting D. passing
16.A. cleaning B. checking C. packing D. examining
17.A. plan B. organization C. campaign D. project
18.A. repair B. rebuild C. remove D. restart
19.A. lost B. ruined C. closed D. escaped
20.A. comforting B. reading C. encouraging D. writing
